How it Works

This contest combines the creativity of art with the power of community in a dual contest & merch drive. Every artist will be given a unique link to their art that they can use to sell merchandise with their design on it! Merch includes t-shirts, sweatshirts, prints, and stickers. These merch sales will help The Rainbow Family Resource Center fundraise to continue the work we do while also showcasing the diverse talent and creativity that exists in Santa Cruz County. In addition, we will have a link available June 1st for use by anyone in the community that allows you to vote for best artist. In total, we have four prizes valued at over $100 each!

 

Art submissions are due no later than June 1st, presales begin upon art submission, and voting begins after the submission period closes! 

 

​This all-ages contest operates in four categories: ​

• Youth artists (Under 14) 

• Adult artists (14+)

• Junior best seller (under 14)

• Adult best seller (14+)

 

Step 1: Contest opens for art submissions (May 1st to June 1st)

 

This year's contest theme is "Inclusion in Santa Cruz County." Your design should represent this theme or answer the question "What does inclusion look like?" 

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After submitting your art, you will officially be entered into the design contest and voting will begin June 1st! We will share the voting link with the community and you are encouraged to do the same!​

 

Step 2: Art Proofs & Merch Drive (June 1st to July 9th)

 

For the second half of this fundraiser, you will have the opportunity to sell your design to the community through stickers, prints, and t-shirts for all ages. 

 

Your art will be reviewed for any grammar errors, printability, and any other fixes. Once the design is approved, you will receive a unique sale link for your items!​ The proceeds for your sales will go towards The Rainbow Family Resource Center and help us support neurodivergent and disabled individuals across Santa Cruz County! 

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 Step 3: Voting and Prizes (July 9th-July 13th!)

 

Voting closes on July 9th and all sales reports are due no later than 12am on July 10th. Winners will be announced on July 13th at The Rainbow Family Resource Center's first annual community outreach event at The Santa Cruz Children's Museum of Discovery at 12pm! Winners who are not present will be contacted via call and email after the event. 

 

Prizes include gift cards, art supplies, and more! We are continuing to accept prize donations to expand our prize baskets for each winner. ​

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Instructions

​1. Fill out the following contestant form: https://forms.gle/QpUG6uwTtoqWiBy96

2. Submit your art to artcontest2025@therainbowfrc.org using the same email provided in your contestant form

3. On June 1st, you will receive links for voting and merchandise sales. Start sharing! The more you share your designs and promote your merchandise, the more votes you will receive. 

4. Join us July 13th at The Museum of Discovery in Capitola or keep an eye on your phone for a call or email to announce the winners of the contest! You will be able to pick up your prize (if applicable) on or after July 13th  ​​

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Partner & Business Support

If your business or organization would like to support this fundraiser, you can do so by donating prizes and advertising our contest. For a flyer or to donate a prize, please email artcontest2025@therainbowfrc.org. We are always accepting more prizes and support! 

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Update: Ethical Considerations

After launching this contest, a thoughtful community member shared their ethical concerns for crowdsourced, unpaid design work created by professional artists. While we don’t have the funds to pay every artist who participates in this contest, we do want to make sure that this contest reflects our dedication to honoring the hard work and skill of our local creators as well as our appreciation for sharing your work with our cause. In the spirit of those efforts, we’ve made the following additions to our guidelines (Note: artist showcasing and credit are subject to parent permission for junior artists): 

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1. Artist Showcasing: All artists will be featured on therainbowfrc.org with a bio, a link to their personal store or social media (as desired), and a picture of their piece! We hope by showcasing you and your amazing work that we can give back a bit for the time you’ve dedicated to this project. Your artist “about me” will stay up permanently on either our contest page or  “past contests” page! 

2. Art Ownership: You retain full ownership of your artwork. The Rainbow FRC will only use your artwork from May 1st, 2025 to July 13th, 2025. You may withdraw your participation at any time and any use of your artwork by The Rainbow FRC after your withdrawal or after July 13th, 2025 must be through your written agreement and compensated at your rate or market value. 

3. Artist Funding: We are adding a link to all contest pages, voting forms, and purchasing spaces where anyone who is interested can make a contribution towards the artists in this contest to be split amongst the participating artists. In addition, the “tip” feature will be turned on for all artist merchandise links for the duration of this fundraiser and the tips will go directly to the artist.  

4. Public Voting: This has been part of our fundraiser from day one, but we’re adding it here because we want to make it clear: Our “best artist” winners are not hand-selected by The Rainbow FRC staff but through free public votes that can be made by anyone in Santa Cruz County. By making it a community effort, we hope to eliminate any bias on our part! 

5. Artist Credit: This is another component that has always been part of the contest but that we want to make sure folks know- you will always be credited for your work! On every post and every printed design your name will be clearly stated as the artist and you will be tagged as applicable in any and all marketing related to your artwork.

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Full Guidelines: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l3G3G473JPxhG2yi4b3V-bIjL_eJl1bbi2XvUGO-YRc/edit?usp=sharing​​​

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Want to thank our artists for their hard work? Consider using our "thank the artist" fund! https://square.link/u/tF3vCHcO